Kazakhstan's atomic company Kazatomprom and Moscow-based Rosatom's Uranium One have developed a new method designed for increasing efficiency of wells productivity in uranium in-situ leach (ISL) mining.

The new method has been developed in the framework of implementation of the plan of action for ISL process optimisation, as well as cost reduction.

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The approach will cover production wells repair and flow-rates restoration, as well as adding ammonium bifluoride to the conditioning agent.

During this process, porous space will be cleaned and new channels would be created in ore-bearing sediments for leaching solutions flows.

"We have a cost-effective technology with no alternative for ‘heavy’ wells flow-rates recovery."

Furthermore, the ISL process allows increasing operating well flow-rates, restoring non-operating wells, in addition to redoubling the overhaul cycle of period wells.

Uranium One chief geotechnical engineer Mikhail Pershin said: “During the wells’ operation, we usually observe a fall in their flow-rate productivity, resulting from salts and clays build-up, and conventional methods for their restoration do not guarantee the desired results.

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“We suggested to apply for uranium ISL mining the technology of the wells’ flow-rate increase used in the oil industry.

“As a result, we have a cost-effective technology with no alternative for ‘heavy’ wells flow-rates recovery that should be redrilled in an alternative way.”

Initially, the approach was tested at the Zarechnoye and Kharasan mines. After the testing was completed, the wells’ flow-rate was recovered up to the initial values.

Later on, the new method was used by Kazatomprom, NAC JSC and Uranium One joint mines.